Warranty from B&M stores vs custom made jewlery..?

[taffylo]

I purchased a Setting From Jared and my center stone from NA. As you know Jared offers a lifetime warranty on the setting in case a stone falls out. In addition to that for about $300 they offer a lifetime cleaning and rhodium plating service which I'm planning on getting.

After reading feedback and reviews i was told to contact DK because his quality would be far superior to anything I'll by at jared. David said he could make the ring for pretty much the same cost Im buying it for. (4k)

My sister just had a prong break on her ring and she was charged $100 to have it fixed just recently. And they convinced her to replate her ring for an additional cost, cant remember how much. My sister inlaw had a tiny diamond pop out of her ring a couple years ago and jared fixed it for free. Setting bought from them and diamond from blue nile.

That alone makes me want to just stick with the jared setting (which is on order) But I'm reading a lot about warranty being garbage on this forum. Why is that?

I understand custom jewlers will warranty their work, but being a big ebayer and considering how many of my packages usps has lost, it makes me uncomfortable mailing my 15k ring just for services.

I'm just trying to weigh out the pros and cons. Feedback?

Thnx and happy new year to you all!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Let me first just say that MANY of us have mailed diamonds to be set and reset without a problem. Obviously you insure it, so even if there was a loss, it would be replaced. But USPS Registered Mail is extremely safe and you can insure for up to $50,000 (you must have proof of the value in the case of a loss).

There is something to be said for buying a ring locally so that lost stones can easily be replaced. I honestly have never had that happen and it should be very rare. So in that respect, it would not stop me from buying elsewhere (custom). I would not pay $300 for lifetime plating, though. I'd probably order the ring in platinum so I wouldn't have to deal with plating. But I'd just rather pay for that as needed and not all upfront. For the same reason, I don't buy extra warranties on appliances, etc. I'd rather just pay for the repair if it ever needs it. On the other hand, insurance is necessary on any valuable jewel that would be painful to have to replace yourself. No warranty will cover all kinds of loss, so you still have to have insurance. Check out Jeweler's Mutual for that.

I am sure Jared carries some decent brands of rings. So it depends on what style it is and what the brand is whether I would choose it or DK. Can you link us the setting?

I didn't understand where you got the diamond...NA?

Happy New Year to you, too!

 

[MollyMalone]

I purchased a Setting From Jared and my center stone from NA. As you know Jared offers a lifetime warranty on the setting in case a stone falls out. In addition to that for about $300 they offer a lifetime cleaning and rhodium plating service which I'm planning on getting.

Think there's been some miscommunication from your local Jared sales rep. According to what's posted on Jared's web site, a mounting purchased there carries just a 1-year warranty that covers "defects" & there is no indication that a center stone diamond not purchased from Jared qualifies for their lifetime stone replacement policy (I would be shocked if they replace, at no charge, "outside" center stones... and then wonder about the caliber of diamond they'd actually give you as a replacement):
http://t.jared.com/ContentView?catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=10451&cmsId=jared_lifetime_diamond_and_gemstone_guarantee

I imagine the pushback you've seen here on PS re Jared's warranty primarily happened when shoppers think the warranty is a good reason to buy a complete ring from Jared. You wisely decided to get your center stone diamond from James Allen (I think) instead of Jared.

In my experience, most independent jewelers will check your prongs & clean your ring -- no matter where purchased -- for free. And given the number of horror stories on consumer forums & elsewhere on the Internet about Jared's bench work, I wouldn't give them a ring to retip or whatever.

Is the setting you've ordered from Jared available in platinum?

 

[taffylo]

I apologize, JA, not NA. So yes, i purchased the stone from James Allen. I do understand the center diamond is not coveted under warranty if it falls out, however i was talking about the side diamonds as there are A LOT of them.

As far as the ring goes, it is in 14k. Already ordered. I was h
planning on getting a platinum head for it. So back to the rhodium dipping as we now know platinum is not an option. Jared says they charge 100 to replate and do "an extra" cleaning with the 300 dollar lifetime warranty when you bring your ring in as opposed to the quick 15 min complimentary ring cleaning. So i figure if i do bring the ring in twice a year to get cleaned and once a year to get redipped, it will pay for itself in 3 years...? If their extended warranty really is what they say it is..

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

Depending on the pave style (which I assume since you say there are "lots" of side diamonds) 14k is not really a good choice of metal (more prone to breakage and losing stones). With that said, for $300 if they mean "lifetime" coverage, as in as long as Jared's is in business, I would get it since you have a good chance of having issues with loosing stones and needing repairs. As far as rhodium goes, my setting is also 14kWG (should have got plat.) and the only part of the ring that eventually shows wear tends to be the bottom, which no one really sees. I haven't plated my ring in YEARS (and when I do I never pay more than $30 and they do it right in front of me) and it doesn't bother me at all. In terms of cleaning your ring, given all the pave, the only way to clean it safely is with steam, hot water, mild cleaner (non-abrasive dish soap) NO ULTRASONIC (can shake stones loose). Many PSers just purchase their own Jewel Jet for home use, you'll want to clean this ring a lot more frequently than 1-2x per year!

 

[rainydaze]

Doesn't Jared's warranty require you to bring the ring in for a check every six months. And if you miss it by a day, the warranty is voided?

You can have your ring re-dipped at any jeweler, and cost varies. I think it tends to run around 25-50 per dip, so Jared's cost is on the high end (imo to make you think the warranty is a deal). I'd rather just find a good jeweler and pay for it when needed (and chances are, they'll clean it for you for free, too). Not to mention, body chemistry affects how the plating wears - your girl could have hers last years.

You can professionally clean your own ring. Jewelers use an ultrasonic and steam cleaners. You have to make sure your jewelry can handle it (diamonds can handle both, platinum can, and pretty sure gold can too). Of course, a daily scrub with soft brush and cleaner will keep it pretty darn clean, again rendering the warranty saying they'll clean it for you rather .

GemOro is the brand a lot of pros use. Many here have the GemOro Sparkle Spa which is around $50, or you can get a small commercial ultrasonic by them for around $100 (which is what I have).

The Jewel Jet steam cleaner is what a lot here also have (myself included). After cleaning with the Jewel Jet, my diamond is beyond wow.

I got the ultrasonic first, then the Jewel Jet, and I have to say, all I need is the Jewel Jet for those occasional deep cleans. The ultrasonic has been sitting unused for a while, and the daily or every-few-days manual scrubbing are more than enough.

 

[Downsy]

I just paid $30 from a small home-town jeweler to dip my wedding band and this is the first time I have done it in over 12 years! I don't know how often you'd need it done but at the rate they are charging ($300) I'd never use that up with my jeweler! But if they are charging $100 per pop to dip, then yes the $300 would likely be worthwhile.